Akbar Hashemi’s Memoirs – February 11, 2003

Putin and the three countries of Russia, Germany and France, in a joint statement, have requested that the inspectors be given another deadline before taking military action against Iraq, which has also angered the United States.  At the same time, a group of human rights advocates have protested against Putin's presence in Paris due to Russia's oppression in Chechnya/Mr. Khatami officially announced that Iran has acquired nuclear technology.  America said that this program will be a cover for the production of nuclear weapons.

Full text of the newspaper:

[Mohammed] al-Duri, Iraq's representative to the United Nations, has agreed to the use of the U-2, Mirage and Antonov spy planes by [UN weapons] inspectors in a letter and requested that the American and British military planes refrain from attacking Iraqi positions, but the United States considered this agreement a means of delaying basic measures.  
[Vladimir] Putin, [President of Russia] has gone to Europe, and the three countries of Russia, Germany and France, in a joint statement, have asked for another deadline to be given to the inspectors before military action, which has also angered the United States.  At the same time, a group of human rights advocates have protested against Putin's presence in Paris because of Russia's oppression in Chechnya.  Putin has said that the war in Iraq has worrying consequences. 
Iraq has announced that it will soon approve a law in the parliament that will prohibit the production of weapons of mass destruction;  This is also called a time-wasting trick by America. 
Yesterday, Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami, [President], officially announced that Iran has acquired nuclear technology and intends to use uranium reserves to produce nuclear fuel and intends to use peaceful nuclear interests.  This news, in addition to the interview of Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, has had a wide reflection in the world.  [Richard] Butcher, the spokesman of the [US] Department of State, said that this program will be a cover for the production of nuclear weapons. 
Radio [Sadai] of America has expressed anger about Naji Sabri, [Iraqi Foreign Minister]'s visit to Iran, and the members of parliament have also said that they are putting pressure on [Mr. Kamal Kharazi], Minister of Foreign Affairs in this regard.  [Alireza] Nourizadeh, the counter-revolutionary and foreign service agent, criticized this action of Iran with lazy statements based on imaginations, like the rest of his interpretations, and lied that Iran is secretly talking to America with my management in order to take advantage of this possible war! 
At half past ten in the morning, I went to participate in the march on 22 Bahman.  Alhamdulillah, the crowd is very good.  I joined the people on Azadi Street.  I did an interview on the way.   The total round trip took one hour;  Because the streets were deserted.  
Children were gathered at noon and night.  In Sima's pictures, the crowd of the nationwide ceremony is seen very magnificently;  It is bitter for America and counter-revolution and sweet for us.  
[George] Tenet, the head of the CIA [US Central Intelligence Agency] has also said that Iran is rapidly moving towards the production of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles.  His statements are mostly repetitive.